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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — in sport
  3. stem — to come from
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. perch — the fish
  13. plane — a tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. foot — a measure
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stem — a stem cell

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com